——Speech at the Memorial Meeting for the Martyrs of the Pingjiang Incident


(August 1, 1939)



[Excerpt from Selected Works of Mao Zedong] It Is Necessary to Punish the Reactionaries





Note by the Editor: This article was originally published on page 9 of Issue 81, Volume 5 of the journal Jiefang. After being included in the Selected Works of Mao Zedong, it was retitled “It Is Necessary to Punish the Reactionaries.” The editors of the Selected Works claimed that the “reactionaries” criticized in this essay referred specifically to Chiang Kai-shek and his followers. However, based on this original text, this is not the case. Rather, the speech calls upon the National Government and Chairman Chiang to punish the reactionaries according to the “national laws” of the Republic of China. The version in the Selected Works completely omits references to “national laws” and similar language.



Comrades!



Today is August 1st, and we are holding a memorial meeting here. Why such a large memorial? Because revolutionary comrades and anti-Japanese fighters have been murdered—this is a grave matter. Who ought to be killed now? Traitors and Japanese imperialism. Yet after two years of fighting against Japan, we still have not decided the outcome; very few traitors have been eliminated. Meanwhile, our revolutionary comrades and anti-Japanese soldiers have been slain. By whom? By the army. Why did the army kill these anti-Japanese fighters? Because it was carrying out orders—someone instructed the army to do so. Who gave those orders? A section of the reactionaries were behind it. Comrades! Logically speaking, who should want to kill anti-Japanese fighters? First, Japanese imperialism; second, traitorous collaborators like Wang Jingwei. But the killings did not occur in Shanghai, Beiping, Tianjin, or Nanjing—in areas occupied by Japanese troops and their collaborators. Instead, they took place right here in Pingjiang, deep within our own war zone. The victims were leading officials of the New Fourth Army’s Pingjiang Communications Office, including Tu Zhengkun and Luo Ziming. Clearly, these executioners among the reactionaries acted under orders from Japanese imperialists and Wang Jingwei. With utmost obedience, they carried out the commands of their Japanese and Wang Jingwei masters, slaughtering our anti-Japanese comrades. Such an event is no small matter; it is a major incident, absolutely not trivial. Were it merely a minor affair, we would not be holding this memorial today. The comrades Tu and Luo, along with others, were anti-Japanese cadres, members of the New Fourth Army, and Communist Party members. These loyal and courageous fighters were deliberately targeted and murdered by anti-communist reactionaries. These reactionaries are preparing to surrender, and thus they systematically eliminate the most resolute anti-Japanese elements first. This is no ordinary crime; we must oppose it and protest vigorously!



China is currently united in its resistance against Japan, all forces bound together under the common goal of national salvation. Yet within this great unity, there exists a vile faction—reactionaries and surrenderists—who engage in precisely such acts: murdering anti-Japanese patriots, suppressing progress, colluding with Japanese aggressors and their Chinese collaborators, and plotting surrender.



But who has stepped forward to demand accountability for this heinous massacre of anti-Japanese comrades? Since the murders occurred at three o’clock in the afternoon on June 12th, nearly two months have passed until today, August 1st. Have we seen any official response? Who ought to take action? Above all, China’s legal system should intervene—the courts and judges. Take, for example, the High People’s Court of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region. What is its role? To deal exclusively with traitors and those who undermine the law. Had such an incident occurred in that region, our High Court would surely have already investigated. Yet almost two months have gone by since the Pingjiang tragedy, and neither the law nor the judiciary has moved to address it. Only the Communist Party has raised the issue. Our nation does possess laws, however imperfect; they do exist. What purpose do laws serve? They are meant to protect anti-Japanese patriots, to strike down traitors and reactionaries. Yet in the case of Pingjiang, the law remains utterly silent. What does this signify? Are the laws dead? Or do they condone the perpetrators? Therefore, we, as representatives of the people, must now demand justice. We call upon the entire nation to rise up, to safeguard anti-Japanese patriots, to oppose traitors and reactionaries, and to uphold the rule of law. That is why we convene this gathering today—not merely to mourn a handful of fallen comrades, but to defend the right to life of all anti-Japanese compatriots.



National unity is essential; without it, victory is impossible. What does unity entail? It means that everyone must resist Japan, remain united, and advance collectively, with rewards for the worthy and punishments for the guilty. Who deserves reward? Those who fight the enemy, promote unity, and advance society. Who merits punishment? Traitors, reactionaries, and those who reverse course. Is such unity present today? It is not. The Pingjiang incident serves as stark evidence: what ought to be unified remains fragmented. We have long advocated for nationwide unity—first, unity in the war effort. Yet Tu Zhengkun, Luo Ziming, and other anti-Japanese comrades have not only failed to receive recognition; they have been brutally slaughtered. Meanwhile, the very villains who oppose the resistance, plot surrender, and commit murder go unpunished. This is the essence of disunity. We must oppose these evil elements, these surrenderists, and bring the murderers to justice. Second, we need unity in solidarity. Those who foster unity should be rewarded, while those who sow division must be punished. But today, Tu Zhengkun, Luo Ziming, and others who championed unity have instead been punished—executed. Conversely, the divisive forces remain untouched. This too is disunity, and we must resist it. Third, we require unity in progress. The whole country must move forward; those lagging behind should align themselves with the progressive forces, rather than dragging the advanced backward. The CPC Central Committee has put forth the following slogan:



Persist to the bitter end in the War of Resistance—reject any compromise midway;

Consolidate domestic unity—oppose internal division;

Strive for national progress—refuse to regress.



The executioners of the Pingjiang incident have murdered those committed to progress and reversed the tide of advancement. We must resolutely oppose this retrogression. In short, we need the rule of law and genuine unity. We require laws that protect our anti-Japanese soldiers and people, as well as laws that penalize surrenderists, saboteurs, and reactionaries. We must achieve nationwide unity: unifying all under the banner of persistent resistance, forbidding surrender; consolidating unity and preventing schism; and promoting progress while halting regression. All surrenderists, separatists, reactionaries, and other malevolent elements must be brought to justice under national law.



The Pingjiang incident carries profound significance. Although only a few individuals were killed in a single location—Pingjiang County, Hunan Province—it is a matter of national importance, a truly momentous event. Consider this: if this trend continues—if one Communist Party member is murdered today, ten tomorrow, then hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands—are targeted—what will become of our nation? The same fate threatens patriotic patriots: as more and more are slain, China will inevitably fall, bringing immense satisfaction to the Japanese imperialists and Wang Jingwei. Since the beginning of the War of Resistance, dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Communists and patriots have already been assassinated. The Pingjiang incident is merely the latest in a series. If left unchecked, China faces utter destruction, with every anti-Japanese figure potentially falling victim. What does it mean to target anti-Japanese fighters? It signifies that these killers are carrying out the directives of Japanese imperialism and Wang Jingwei, preparing for surrender. Their strategy is clear: first eliminate anti-Japanese soldiers, then the Communist Party, and finally patriotic citizens. Unless we act decisively, China will indeed perish at the hands of these treacherous elements. Therefore, this is a matter of national urgency. We must speak out everywhere—to the entire nation—urging the National Government to take decisive action: to severely punish the reactionaries, the murderers, and the instigators of this chaos.



Comrades, our work does not end with this meeting alone. Let our colleagues in Yan’an understand: recently, Japanese imperialist sabotage has intensified, and international reactionary forces are increasingly aiding Japan. Within China itself, both overt and covert collaborators are undermining the resistance, fracturing unity, and pushing the country toward collapse through civil strife and surrender. Comrades, we must rally the entire nation to oppose these sinister plots.



Today, from Yan’an, we are dispatching telegrams to all regions, vowing to prevent such incidents from recurring—indeed, to ensure that nothing like them ever happens again. Only through the rule of law, true national unity, and unwavering protection of our revolutionary comrades, our anti-Japanese fighters, our cadres, and our people can we ultimately defeat Japanese imperialism and secure victory. (Applause throughout the hall.) Otherwise, China will remain in grave danger. Today, we unanimously declare: we oppose such atrocities. We urge Chairman Chiang Kai-shek and Premier Lin Sen of the National Government to enforce laws safeguarding revolutionary and anti-Japanese comrades, to achieve nationwide unity in the war effort, in fostering solidarity, and in advancing progress. Should the law fail to deliver justice and unity remain elusive, the people of China must continue to press for concrete action—ensuring that the law is applied, that unity is achieved, and that these evil elements—saboteurs, reactionaries, and surrenderists—are thoroughly suppressed, so that such tragedies never recur. (Loud, sustained applause.)



Currently, a secret policy known as the “Measures for Suppressing Other Parties” is circulating domestically. Its content is entirely reactionary, serving Japanese imperialism, and gravely detrimental to the war effort, to unity, and to social progress. Who exactly constitutes “other parties”? The Japanese fascist party, Wang Jingwei’s party, and all traitors qualify. But are the Communist Party, the Kuomintang, and all other anti-Japanese factions, united in their struggle against foreign aggression, also considered “other parties”? Yet certain surrenderists, reactionaries, and hardliners persistently stir up friction and division within this broad anti-Japanese coalition. Is such behavior acceptable? Absolutely not. (Applause throughout the hall.) So, whom should we seek to suppress? Japanese imperialism, Wang Jingwei, reactionaries, and surrenderists. (Applause throughout the hall.) Why, then, target the most anti-Japanese, the most revolutionary, the most progressive—the Communist Party? This is utterly wrong. We in Yan’an firmly reject and vehemently protest this policy. (Applause throughout the hall.) We must oppose these so-called “Measures for Suppressing Other Parties,” which are nothing more than a source of chaos, lawlessness, and a host of other destructive practices that undermine unity. The purpose of today’s meeting extends far beyond mourning a few comrades; it is about sustaining the resistance, preserving unity, and advancing society. To that end, we demand the abolition of these “Measures for Suppressing Other Parties,” the punishment of surrenderists, reactionaries, and saboteurs, and the protection of all revolutionary comrades, anti-Japanese fighters, and the broader populace. (Enthusiastic applause and chanting of slogans.)



Thanks to KMTの凯子 for transcription.